The present invention relates to smoking articles, and more particularly, to an improved smoking article, such as a cigarette or the like, having a novel filter for removing the potentially harmful tars, resins, nicotine, etc. from the tobacco smoke.
For a number of years, it has been recognized that the inhalation of tobacco smoke may be injurious to the smoker's health. In fact, a report by the Surgeon General of the United States indicates that excessive inhalation of tobacco smoke may cause lung cancer and that there may be a direct relationship between the number of cigarettes smoked and incidents of circulatory diseases.
Consequently, a significant percentage of the cigarettes manufactured and sold in the United States today include filters, with these filters being designed and intended to remove, to the extent possible, the injurious tars, resins, nicotine, etc. from the tobacco smoke. A variety of different filters and filtering devices have been proposed over the years for use with cigarettes and other smoking articles. Examples of such filters and filtering devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,954,778, issued in the name of H. A. Lebert; 3,010,458, issued in the name of H. A. Lebert; 3,062,218 issued in the name of C. E. Temkovits; 3,079,926 issued in the name of H. R. Litchfield et al; 3,334,636 issued in the name of A. A. Zuber; 3,504,678 issued in the name of R. E. Pitt; 3,515,146, issued in the name of R. N. Nealis; 3,690,326, issued in the name of F. R. Davenport; and 3,738,375, issued in the name of G. C. Doumas.
While the filters and filter devices disclosed in the aforementioned patents are said to remove the potentially harmful tars, resins, nicotine, etc. found in tobacco smoke, none has apparently enjoyed commercial success and acceptance. The most common type of cigarette filter utilized commercially today is a cylindrical rod comprising an assemblage of fibers or filaments made of a cellulose or similar material wherein the fibers or filaments are oriented in direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cigarette filter.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an approved smoking article, such as a cigarette, which includes a novel filter that is capable to removing a substantial portion of the potentially harmful tars, resins, nicotine, etc. from the tobacco smoke. More specifically, the novel filter of my invention includes an assemblage of crimped, cellulose acetate fibers which are disposed within an outer wrapper and attached to one end of a cigarette in a conventional manner. My filter includes: a first zone which is adjacent to the rear end of the cigarette and which has an elongated, elliptical cross-section in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the filter; a second zone which is adjacent to the end of the filter adapted to be placed in the mouth of a smoker and which has an elongated, elliptical cross-section in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the filter, with the major axis of the elliptical cross-section of the second zone being substantially perpendicular to the major axis of the elliptical cross-section of the first zone; and a transition zone which is disposed between the first and second zone and which has a varying, non-circular cross-section that provides a smooth transition between the first and second zones. A portion of the fibers in the first zone are oriented in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the filter and is disposed adjacent to the rear end of the cigarette. A portion of the fibers in the transition zone are likewise oriented in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the filter, with the orientation of the fibers in these two portions being parallel. The remaining fibers in the cigarette filter are oriented in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the filter. Thus, the smoke must travel through multiple zones or filter portions before inhalation by the smoker.
Aside from the improved filtering characteristics of my improved filter, one of the principal advantages of the novel filter of my invention is that it can be manufactured relatively inexpensively, as compared to the filters and filter devices shown in the aforementioned patents. Moreover, my novel filter can be made from materials that are already being used to manufacture cigarettes marketed today. This should facilitate the commercial acceptance of the smoking articles utilizing my novel filter.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of my present invention described in connection with the accompanying drawings: